Milepost 308 to 312 - Improvements

The PA Turnpike must comply with DEP guidelines and is working with the townships and the DEP. Storm water basin size and locations are based on several factors including the natural flow of rain water in existing conditions, accessibility for maintenance, characteristics of native soil, groundwater and bedrock elevations.

In addition to coordinating with the local townships, the PA Turnpike is working with local, state and federal regulatory agencies such as the Chester County Conservation District, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to make sure the project design progresses with the least impact to the existing environment.

Currently, the most common types of noise walls consist of concrete panels with steel or concrete posts. The panels typically utilize a form-liner to provide texture and a stain is applied for color. Anti-Graffiti coatings are typically added in an effort to reduce the possibility of graffiti. After the refinement of the plans but before a final decision is made, the PA Turnpike is planning to hold a community meeting with the owners of property bordering proposed noise wall locations to provide them with the opportunity to vote on noise wall color and texture.

The noise wall locations shown on the plans convey the most accurate representation of mitigation sites and physical wall locations based on the outcomes of the noise impact analysis report available for review at tonight’s meeting. The length and height of the noise walls will be further refined as a part of the optimization process.

Although there are no federal or state funds used for this project, the PA Turnpike utilized Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and PennDOT criteria for highway noise analysis. For communities where noise abatement consideration is warranted, the next step is to consider whether the noise abatement would be feasible for each affected community. Traffic noise abatement is typically provided by using highway noise barriers. Feasible noise barriers are those that provide at least 5 dB(A) of noise reduction to noise sensitive locations and pose no safety, engineering, or access restrictions. If a noise barrier system is determined to be feasible, the next step is to determine whether or not the barrier is reasonable for construction. For a barrier to be reasonable, it must be cost effective and maintenance, constructability, drainage and utility impacts, as well as the desires of the affected residents, must be considered.

Please watch our Noise Wall video to learn more about how the PA Turnpike determines where sound barriers will be located.